Shadow's Transit
by Ravas
Summary: Set after Bella goes cliff diving in New Moon. What if Jasper had come back to Forks instead of Alice? Jasper/Bella


**Disclaimer:** All the characters belong to Stephanie Meyer :)

**Chapter 1**

"Bella I need you to stay in the car, one of _them _have been here I can smell it."

The overwhelming heat of Jake's body had made me drowsy in the drive up from La Push but his words sent a chill up my spine.

"Victoria?..." Panic clawed up my throat, and I was unable to complete the question, my hands felt clammy and my skin too tight as I quickly looked around the car for any signs of the terrifying red-headed vampire. I clutched Jake tightly, terrified for him just as much as myself. Regardless of whether he could turn into a gigantic beast with teeth and claws I remembered what vampires could do. He would try to protect me and without the help of the pack I was sure he would lose.

"I can't tell…leeches all smell the same. Like dead rotten things…" he looks at me as he speaks and I can't find it in me to defend my departed family or _him_, my heart was racing I didn't understand how Jake was staying so calm. He moved away from me to my trucks door pulling off his t-shirt as he went.

"Blood-sucker is gonna finally get it..." My voice came back to me with a new rush of fear.

"Jake no, what are doing come back _in_ here!"

It was too late, he was already out of the truck and marching towards the house, most likely following his enhanced sense of smell . Victoria was in my house? Irrationally I worried about the state my house would be left in after a werewolf and vampire had death match inside but I pushed the ridiculous thought to the side trying to make my panicked mind at least try to formulate a plan that didn't end with me and my best friend dead and Charlie without home to boot. I rushed out of my truck, almost landing on my face as I stumbled, then ran to my house.

"Jake!" the panic must of sounded in my voice as he turned as he got to my front door, he looked at me, then he looked past me at something behind me and gave a nod indicating I should look. I turned. A shiny Volvo was parked at the curb. I instantly understood. It wasn't Victoria, it was _him_. I didn't think that it was possible but my heart raced even faster, and I struggled to breathe properly. It was impossible! Why would he be back? He promised that he wouldn't. He didn't want me, so why would he be here? He had told me I wasn't good for him, that I wasn't wanted by him or his family. Instantly the pain in my chest that had been a near constant since _he_ had left gave an almost painful throb. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold it together. I noticed Jake had gone inside… His earlier words about how someone was going to "get" it came back to me and my eyes widened as I realised that Jake could still get hurt. Or worse Jake might somehow hurt _him_.

I don't realise I'm shivering until the wind picks up, Im still in the clothes I wore in my recent trip down into the ocean via a cliff. I pull myself together and run for the house wanting to understand why he would be here after everything. And to make sure that he and Jake don't kill each other. I follow the voices into the kitchen; I stand on the threshold of the kitchen door, take a deep breath and walk inside.

They are standing at opposite sides of the room with my kitchen table in the middle; Jake looks tense and uneasy but not as angry or as ready to pounce as I thought he would be. One look at the tall pale figure on the opposite side of my kitchen tells me why. Edward is not here. It's Jasper. He must be using his ability as an empath to calm Jake down. I on the other hand am not prepared for the emotional onslaught. Disappointment, dissolution and utter heartbreak, it's as if he has left me abandoned in the woods all alone again. I wasn't aware of the hope that I had begun to build the moment I had seen the Volvo outside. I did however feel shatter painfully. The hole in my chest was throbbing agony, I was beyond tears for which I was grateful, and I could do without the embarrassment of a blubbery breakdown in front of Jake and Jasper. Neither of them need know how I was on the brink of yet another utter breakdown. Just as this thought leaves my mind I look up to see shocked honey coloured eyes meeting my own. I'd forgot, my breakdown wasn't as private as I'd thought. Jasper could feel everything.

"Hey blood sucker I'm talking to you! What are you doing back here?" Jake tries to muster up the anger that must have so unexpectedly been ripped from him.

"I have some business to attend to with Bella." He looks at me again and doesn't take his eyes off me as he talks to Jake. "I need to ask her some questions; I think it would be best if we were alone."

"I'm not leaving her here with a leech, just ask her now and go and don't bother coming back! The treaty still stands but you're really not welcome here. Not after what you lot did her. I'm not gonna let you all get your filthy claws into her again! Ask…then leave!" If I weren't in emotional agony I would have found it funny at how hard Jake was trying to sound angry, his orders didn't hold any weight to them.

Jasper turns to me "Bella, I need to speak to you about a few things. I don't want to say them in front of your… friend" he pauses at the word friend and looks at me quizzically; obviously he is not oblivious to Jakes true nature.

I pull in a deep breath that seems to burn my lungs as I pull it in and it almost gets stuck in the lump that has formed in my throat. I need to pull this together. With surprise I note that a tiny part of me is pleased to see Jasper and I cling to this small happiness so as to try and shift all the other painful emotions to the back of my mind.

"Jake I will be fine, please I will be safe with Jasper" at this Jasper stares at me harder and I can't help but remember the last time I saw him; crazy with blood lust and ready to rip my throat out. I'm surprised I feel no fear as I remember my disastrous 18th birthday party, I'm sure if I'd died that day it wouldn't have been as painful as getting my heart ripped out the next.

Jake looks reluctant to leave but I notice Jasper has shifted his gaze to Jake and is obviously manipulating his emotions to make Jake more compliant. Without Jaspers gift I doubt that Jake would have ever left me with a vampire, even if it just was one of those "harmless Cullen's".

"Are you sure Bells?" He looks at me with his big dark eyes almost pleading with me to ask him to stay.

"Yeah, I will call you tonight… Let me know if you hear from my dad, he's not back from Sue's yet but I think he'll go back to yours before he comes home."

"Sure…" he looks confused and a bit dazed as if he's not sure why he is saying what he is, but he pulls me into a tight hug and I find my face against his naked well chiselled chest.

"Be careful Bella… ring me to let know you're ok. Promise. Don't forget"

"I promise Jake" He steps away from me kissing me on the forehead.

As he leaves the kitchen I turn back to Jasper who is staring intently and frowning slightly.

"Bella…" He doesn't say any more than that and we stand in silence, I would have found it awkward if I still weren't trying to piece myself together after getting my hopes completely dashed. I try and rein in the agony that must have been rolling off me in waves remembering that he could probably feel everything. I settled on looking Jasper over as it increased the joy I felt at being able to see one of the people I had at a time considered a second family again. I had a rush of questions that I wanted to ask, but at the same time I really probably didn't want to know the answers. Edward wasn't here. Edward still didn't want me. However I was curious to know why Jasper was here.

He must have felt the curiosity grow from within me as he broke the silence.

"Alice had a vision Bella; she thought you had killed yourself"

I gave a nervous giggle. "What? I didn't…" He continued to look at me seemingly deep in thought I felt the need to ask further.

"But I'm still here? I didn't try to…" I was confused usually Alice was spot on with her visions. I tried to remember if I had been thinking of killing myself at all, I had in the beginning, when _he_ had first left months ago. But I would never do that to Charlie. Not that the cationic like state I had slipped into had been much better to him mind you…

"Yes I can see that, she saw you jump off a cliff Bella… she couldn't see if you had made it, your future disappeared from her Sight. She would have come herself. She wanted to make sure, and if she was right she didn't want Charlie to be by himself…but…she couldn't come…because of…well she sent me here instead. I didn't think you would be this bad." He said it all in quite a rush and moved from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter to come closer to me until he standing an arm's length away.

"I didn't try and kill myself" he looked at me confused for a split second then I continued. "and what do you mean 'this bad'"

"Bella… the pain coming from you, I don't think I've ever felt anything like it in all the years I've existed… I would understand you know. I've seen people kill themselves over less than what you're feeling…" he reached a hand to my shoulder and the look of pity in his eyes set off my temper. I tried to slap his hand away before it could reach me; it felt like I'd punched a brick wall.

"Ouch! I did not try and kill myself damnit! I wouldn't do that to Charlie." I flinched as the pain in my hand didn't let up and I shook it uselessly trying to relieve the pain.

"Here." Jasper moving so fast I couldn't protest quickly but delicately took my injured hand and placed it in both of his, the cold of his palms soothed my pain and began to make my hand go numb. A chill went up my spine and I suddenly felt cold. I'd forgotten what touching a vampire felt like. I looked up and saw Jasper taking in my appearance.

"So if you weren't trying to kill yourself… but Alice saw you jump off a cliff… and your all wet because?" he rose his eyebrow questionably. I responded immediately.

"I went cliff diving"

There was a pause and his facial expressions changed so quickly I struggled to make them out, it was a progression from shock to incredulity to amusement.

"Cliff diving?" he said with a warm grin.

"Yeah I saw some guys from the reservation do it once and wanted to try…." No need to tell him that I was doing it to spur on the voices in my head. I'd only just about convinced him that I wasn't trying to top myself.

He surprised me by laughing, it was a warm rich sound that lit up his butterscotch eyes and left dimples in his cheeks. He pulled some of his blonde hair from his face that had moved to cover his eyes as his body shook with his deep chuckles.

"Oh Bella…You do some of the weirdest things…" I never had much interaction with Jasper before… _he_ left so I was curious at what things I had done in front of Jasper that he thought were weird. He moved his hands from mine and with them gone I began to feel the throbbing in my knuckle more. He began to shake his head as he began to talk again.

"You should probably get one of those ice pack things on that… but you should go and get changed before you catch a cold." Remembering that I was still in my damp clothes from earlier I nodded absently. Putting a hand on either one of my shoulders he directed me to the base of my stairs then gave me a light push on my back.

"But you're staying right...What I mean is… are you going to be here? When I come down?"

He gave me a warm smile and I'm sure that he used his power to send me a wave of calm to stave off the panic that was threatening to take hold and he spoke with such sincerity I had no reason to doubt him.

"Bella I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
